SummaryIt has been suggested that masticatory efficiency is directly related to the area of the occlusal surfaces that make contact. However, little work has been carried out to determine if occlusal wear increases the area of contact, and controversy exists as to whether this would be an advantage. Using a wax registration method, occlusal contact area was measured in a group of individuals with either local or generalized wear, before and after treatment. The changes in occlusal contact area were statistically significant for the group exhibiting generalized wear but not for the group exhibiting localized wear.